If you've been following along on this blog for a while, you may have noticed that I kind of... disappeared. I didn't ACTUALLY disappear, of course, but I did let this site expire. Everything is hosted on Squarespace, and since it's a subscription site that isn't exactly cheap, I decided it wasn't worth paying for if I knew I wasn't going to be using it.

But I missed it. I missed sharing my creations with you, even if they weren't too frequent. While my blog has never had huge readership, I still like to share what I make and the patterns I create. And so I'm back, and ready to continue sharing what I make with the world!

So, where have I been the past year? (More than 14 months if I'm being honest!) Let me tell you!

Last August, I went to Disney World! If you've been following along with this blog for a bit, you know how much I LOVE Disney. Last April, I decided I really wanted to go back to my happy place - even having just been there in January! - and we planned a trip for August. It was HOT, but I had an amazing time. I loved wearing ears I'd made and shirts from some of my favorite small shops!

In September, I started my second semester of my teaching certification program!

In October, I finished my Grape Vine Shawl. The pattern is Berry Patch by Lisa Hannes, but since I was knitting mine with purple yarn, I went with Grape Vine instead! This was the second installment in my "A Shawl A Semester" project! (Which I've sadly fallen behind on - but more on that later!)

In November, I started my V-Stitch Ripple Blanket, one of MANY stash-busting projects to come! I picked 8 colors - 4 light and 4 dark - and alternated them with a V-stitch ripple pattern! I LOVE the way the colors turned out!

In January, I got my first taste of student teaching! From January-May, I did my pre-professional field experience and taught one day a week!

In March, I went to Disney World again! It was my first ever solo trip ANYWHERE, and I had an absolutely amazing time! I highly recommend solo travel to anyone, no matter where you go. It was an entirely different experience.

In May, I (bear with me!) went to DISNEYLAND for the very first time! (See, I told you I was a crazy Disney fan!) This was a trip that my mom, my sister, and I had been planning since December, and I was so excited to finally experience Walt's original park for myself! It was crazy busy, so I'm hoping I can get back there another time soon during a less busy time!

This summer, I've just been working on my ears shop! As you can see, not a ton of knitting and crocheting got done in the past year, and it's all down to my schedule! For the past month, I've put my shop on hiatus as I prep for the school year, because I'll be doing full-time student teaching starting next week! I've gotten a ton of knitting and crocheting done in these past few weeks and I'm so grateful for it. The ultimate in relaxation, am I right?

I'd love to hear what you've been doing lately! Leave a comment below letting me know or with a link to your own crafty blog! :)